Tag: Imaginative Play

This post is part of the Blue Bike Blog Tour, which I’m thrilled to be part of. To learn more and join us, head here.

The new year ushered in a new chapter for our family as my husband and I sat down to reevaluate our priorities and solidify our family purpose statement. We’ve aspired to live more simply, more intentionally, with greater balance in our lives, something that is equal parts intuitive and challenging with young children. The art of communicating with our children, my passion and study, flourishes with intentionality, and learning expands with simple, purposeful moments. It is these moments that we strive to cultivate, to water and fertilize as our children grow.

But where to start when the garden seems overrun with demands? Work schedules, information overload, and personal expectations and perfectionism all cling like weeds to our lofty goals, and at times I feel paralyzed to even make change.

And so it was fitting that on the heels of the start of the new year came the release of a book “Notes From a Blue Bike”, by one of my favorite authors. Tsh Oxenreider lives with her family in nearby Bend, and her reflections on living a life with intentionality echoed within our family’s discussions of the new year…how to cultivate that life that you seek… how to swim upstream and at times turn your back on mainstream culture… how to recognize that just because it’s “the way it is” doesn’t mean it’s the right way for your family.

“Almost everybody in my life stage – parents with kids at home – craves a slower life. They, too, crave a more meaningful life, a life that made margin for doing nothing, for not bowing down to calendars, for saying yes to long walks with their kids and cooking seasonally from scratch because there was time.” –Tsh Oxenreider

And so, it was with these thoughts in our mind that my husband and I stared around our little 1500-square-foot house and considered downsizing (!) in pursuit of the right job opportunity. It was with this intentional living mantra that I clicked the “reservations” button on the American Airlines website, to send us and our two young daughters on an international trip, where we hope to dine, hike, and sleep under the stars of another culture. It was with Tsh’s words clanking around in my head as the gears turned and I reduced my work load to a more manageable schedule. Who knows what other changes lie in the works for 2014?

I would love to hear how you are choosing to live with intention this year. What is one change that you are making for the better? Leave a comment below, and head to http://notesfromabluebike.com/to find Tsh’s book.

Notes From a Blue Bike is written by Tsh Oxenreider, founder and main voice of The Art of Simple. It doesn’t always feel like it, but we DO have the freedom to creatively change the everyday little things in our lives so that our path better aligns with our values and passions. Grab your copy here.

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Why a dress-up box is so important

Facilitating Pretend Play in Young Children

It starts around the age of one. I see it with my own daughter as she puts “baby” in the cradle, covers baby with “blankie”, looks up, and, placing a finger to her lips, tells the room “shh”. She then repeats with “baby”, “blankie”, and “shh” as the running script. After several rounds of bedtime for baby, the doll goes in a stroller for a “walk” around the room, then repeat.

Facilitating this play in your child can sometimes be tricky for the parent who wants to directthe play. We want to talk the whole time, praising our children and commenting on every new move we see. It’s often best to sit on the floor nearby, smile, label slowly, and let your child repeat the sequence until they are ready to move on. Try this experiment: sit cross-legged near your child, keeping your hands folded in your lap. When your child looks up at you, give a word or two with animation. Be consistent in your message, and allow for silence. See what develops.

As your child grows with imaginative play, they often take on the character role themselves. A super-hero cape (or a sheet!) transforms a child into a new role. If you want to join in the play, don your own cape, but try and let your child take the lead. Question-asking: “What’s this big mountain over here?” and problem-posing: “On no! I hurt my shoulder! What should I do?” can allow your child the opportunity to problem- solve and create their own storyline.

My go-to dress-up clothes include the following:

(I opt for things that can be interpreted and manipulated many ways, rather than entire pre-fab costumes)

~Several scarves(for sashes, head wraps, arm wraps, etc.)

~Gloves, hats, and glasses

~Shirt/Skirt/Dresses

~Capes (I have a super-crafty mother-in-law who fashioned a sleek cape with a Velcro closure. Just be careful of capes that tie around the neck.)

~Nametag holder and lanyard(like what a parent might wear at a conference)

Optional:

~Wands, swords(they do make handy weapons, so be careful)

~Masks for older kids (age 5 and up)

Opt for items your child can mostly put on themselves, to save you time and interruptions. Once the box is overflowing, purge a few items. Until then, keep it open and available for free play… and watch what transpires!

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I thought it was time for an update from the home front. I’ve written before here about when my first daughter hit the Walkie-Talkie stage. My little Walkie-Talkie spends her playtime immersed in imaginative fairyland, complete with characters and drama. Most naptimes have turned to “quiet time” at our house, and while she is in her room the stories really run wild. She sings songs to her animals, talks to her dolls, creates elaborate stories to tell herself, and in general has a fine time high in her tower waiting for her prince (or mommy to come and tell her quiet time is over). I keep meaning to put a tape recorder in her room to hear exactly what she is saying, but what I can glean from my eavesdropping makes me laugh, and amazes me. Kids say the darndest things! This imaginative play has done wonders for my sanity, as I get a few moments every day to sit back and let her daydreams run wild. I’ve written before about the power of free play, and I am even more of a believer as I raise my own kids.

Our newest addition, the “Roly-Poly”, is already five-months-old! Her coos and gurgles have turned to bird-of-prey-style squawks, followed by big smiles and sparkling eyes to get our attention. From my “speechie” lens I’m always amazed by how quickly babies can change from day-to-day. I’ve written before about baby signing here, and my husband and I are starting to use signs with our Roly-Poly, especially when she fusses, in an effort to show her that she can communicate a specific need or want. The circles of communication come so naturally to many babies – it makes me appreciate even more the parents who have to work extra hard for their child’s attention. Communication is such a vital part of our lives, even from this age humans seek out and reinforce those interactions. The Roly-Poly also likes to make those flirty eyes at 2:30am when I finally drag myself out of dreamland and stumble into her room. That little girl know how to get her need met and keep everyone loving her to bunches.

Some of you may remember our family’s big experiment where we cancelled cable for 8 months. It actually was a pretty easy switch, since we didn’t spend much time watching it normally. I wanted to see if, as a family, we could stomach what I try to encourage many of my clients to do: significantly reduce our screen time. I have seen children for therapy who spend 3-4 hours every day in front of the t.v., and another couple of hours on the computer. Seven hours in front of a screen is no good. When we are focusing on self-soothing, increasing social communication, and exploring pretend play, screen time runs counter to what we are trying to accomplish.

I check my computer or iPad several times a day, and the iPhone has been my sanity while spending countless hours breastfeeding, so I didn’t focus on our overall “screen time”. I’ll be the first to admit, that “window” to the outside world would be very difficult for me to totally eliminate. Our Walkie-Talkie only uses the iPad on rare occasions, so our focus turned to the television. We canceled the cable, caught a few shows on basic cable, but didn’t really miss the tube during our busy days.

But then the Oregon Duck football season started. Needless to say, in order to get his sports fix, my husband asked for the cable back. We’d already gotten in a nice rhythm of not watching television, and our oldest daughter didn’t expect it as part of her day, so we turned the cable back on. Realistically, I’d say we currently catch about 3-4 hours of grownup shows a week (mostly On-Demand, I hate commercials!), a couple of hours of sports, and my daughter watches about 1 hour per week. Her favorite shows (again, On-Demand usually) are the Super Why! super reader shows, and Angelina Ballerina. We’ve established that it is a special, irregular treat, so she doesn’t expect it every day. Now, don’t get me wrong. I understand that as parents we are often on our last strands of patience, and the television can be a sanity saver. Some children are very high-energy and need some forced down time. In my opinion, however, what is important is to continue to practice having your child entertain themselves, because it’s the only way they will learn to regulate their behavior, play through boredom, and explore some of their deeper cognitive capacities.

With that, I’ll leave you with this little tidbit from the Walkie-Talkie tonight: “When you go to bed, you rest your body and your hair… AND your brain!”

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I’ve been reading up on the many benefits of free, imaginative play, especially now that my daughter has entered the world of doll houses, stuffed animals with personalities and names, and small farmhouse figurines. It is amazing to watch her cradle a stuffed kitty like a baby doll, rocking it back and forth, before placing it in her doll stroller for a “walk” to go “shopping”. (Sidenote: Dad always asks how she knows the word “shopping” so well, but I plead ignorance. My case wasn’t helped when she was out with Dad one day and pointed to the GAP clothing store and noted “Gap!”)

In particular, I like the approach taken by Kim John Payne on his “Simplicity Parenting” blog www.simplicityparenting.com/blog. He details how play is a critical component of childhood, and the cognitive growth that comes from creating your own play is being slowly eroded by fast-paced life in our society today. Toys, gadgets, television, and technology have gotten in the way of the creativity that comes from those moments of “I’m bored… what can I do?”

From a communication perspective, imaginary play is an important stage in overall development. When a child leaves a cause-effect world and begins to create on their own, a major milestone has been reached. The cardboard box becomes a race car, the doll becomes a baby, and the animals are no longer just placed in the farmhouse, they now are fighting for food or escaping from the corral. Continue reading →